Lighthouse Inn

This airy Linnton tavern offers plenty of room to rehydrate after a hike in Forest Park or recover from a harvest-season trip to nearby Sauvie Island. Fridays and Saturdays draw regulars for prime-rib dinners, but the many burger choices, you’ve-got-to-be-kidding-me mountain of tots, and Oregon-proud pints (the taps take in Burnside Brewing and Cascade Lakes) are on offer every day. The respite comes with a history lesson: it may not be right on the water, but few bars in Portland make you feel more connected to our rivertown history than the Lighthouse. Red and green channel markers set around the room bounce light off a bar that’s shiny as a ship’s deck, and after a few strong pours, you might think you spot a seagull landing on the dock pilings behind the shuffleboard table. Dockworker notices tacked outside and union signs within hint that this isn’t a place to get too highfalutin: just order a drink (or go with the bartender’s whim—she may even cure your cold), sit back and watch the game, or join in the welcoming conversation. Even the resident ghost, said to sit and smoke cigars in what was once the building’s bank vault, is a friendly sort.